Holder for a beverage container

ABSTRACT

A holder for a beverage container has a container receptacle, gripping elements with holding elements capable of being resiliently pressed away radially and project into the container receptacle, each of the holding elements having at least two vertically offset gripping points and being fastened by a spring element, such that each of the holding elements and each of the spring elements form a horizontally tiltable one of the gripping elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a holder for a beverage container.

[0002] Many such holders having a cup-shaped container receptacle forcups, beakers, beverage cans, bottles or the like are known from theprior art. The known holders have at least one or several grippingelements in the form of flaps, holding jaws or the like arrangeddistributed in part around the circumference. These project into theinterior of the cup-shaped container receptacle and can be pressed awayradially by the circumferential surface of a beverage container owing toa spring system and provided support for the drinks container bygripping. Such a holder is described, for example, in DE 100 15 197.3.The corresponding gripping element comprises a compensating flap, whichis resiliently secured by way of a pivoting bearing. Such a grippingelement has the drawback, however, that the compensating flap effectsgripping only at gripping points at substantially the same level, andtherefore often provides only unsatisfactory support particularly fortall drinks containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to providea holder for a beverage container, which eliminates the disadvantages ofthe prior art.

[0004] More particularly, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a holder for a beverage container, which has improved holdingproperties.

[0005] In keeping with these objects and with others which have becomeapparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides,briefly stated in a holder for a beverage container which has acontainer receptacle; gripping elements with holding elements capable ofbeing resiliently pressed away radially and project into said containerreceptacle, each of said holding elements having at least two verticallyoffset gripping points and being fastened by a spring element such thateach of said holding elements and each of said spring elements form ahorizontally tiltable one of said gripping elements.

[0006] In accordance with the present invention, the holder according tothe invention has holding elements each having at least two grippingpoints and the gripping points are offset vertically with respect to oneanother. The holding elements are fixed to the housing of the holder bymeans of a spring element, so that a holding element and a springelement form a gripping element. The spring element serves on the onehand for radial spring-biasing of the holding element and on the otherhand allows horizontal tilting thereof. This allows, on the one hand,diameter-compensating for different sizes of drinks container. On theother hand, the ability of the holding element to tilt ensures that theholding element, especially in the case of non-cylindrical drinkscontainers, is matched to the drinks container also in a verticaldirection.

[0007] The spring element is preferably a wire spring and the holdingelements each have two bores offset with respect to one another in whichthe two free ends of a respective wire spring engage. To achieve abistable system, the wire spring has two limbs with the free endsthereof engaging in the bores, at least one portion of each limbextending in the direction of offset of the bores and the two limbsbeing biased with respect to one another in this portion. Bistable shallbe understood to mean that two stable states for the gripping elementcan be set from the arrangement and the bias. Whereas a state in whichthe two said portions of the limbs and the bores lie in one plane isunstable, by tilting the holding element in one or the other direction arespective stable can be achieved.

[0008] The bias can be produced by corresponding resilient deformationas the wire springs are inserted in the holding elements. Preferably thetwo bores are vertically offset with respect to one another so that thewire spring has two limbs, each with a vertically extending portion,which vertically are biased with respect to one another. A clearimprovement in support, for example, for waisted bottles, is achieved bythe bistable behaviour, when as the bottle is inserted, the change-overpoint of the bistable system is overcome and hence the radial spring isreinforced by a torque effect.

[0009] The novel features which are considered as characteristic for thepresent invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims.The invention itself, however both as to its construction and its methodof operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof,will be best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder according to theinvention, partly cut away;

[0011]FIG. 2 shows the wire spring of this holder in the installedstate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] A holder 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 in accordance with the presentinvention is provided for installation in a motor vehicle and can beused for holding a bottle 2 or other beverage containers, for example,cups, beakers, drinks cans or the like. It has a cup-shaped containerreceptacle 3. Adjacent an open top side of the container receptacle 3the holder 1 has a cover 4. Alternatively, the container receptaclecould merge integrally into a flange-like surround provided for closureof an installation opening for the holder 1 in the motor vehicle.

[0013] Four holding elements 7 distributed around the circumference arearranged in openings 5 in the inner circumferential wall 6 of thecontainer receptacle 3. The holding elements 7 reduce the inside widthof the container receptacle 3 and grip the bottle 2 to provide support.They are fixed to the housing 8 of the holder body by means of wiresprings 9. FIG. 2 shows a wire spring 9 in the installed state. It hasin particular two vertical limbs 10 and two free ends 11. The centrelines of the free ends 11 are offset vertically with respect to oneanother.

[0014] During manufacture of the wire spring 9, i.e. before it ismounted, it is twisted about the axis A. On assembly, the geometryillustrated is imposed by resilient deformation, with the result thatthe two vertical limbs 10 are biased towards one another. The free ends11 engage in two bores 12 of the holding element 7 vertically offsetwith respect too one another. The holding element 7 and the springelement 9 consequently form a bistably horizontally tiltable grippingelement 12. A state in which the two limbs 10 are parallel to oneanother, and the limbs 10, the free ends 11 and the bores 12 lie in oneplane, is unstable because of the tensile and compressive stresses inthe limbs 10.

[0015] The system can tilt to two sides in that the limbs 10 twist aboutthe axis A opposed to one another. The holding element 7 is thereforetilted about its horizontal axis lying tangential to the bottle. Thetilt angle achieved depends on the bias of the two limbs 10. Providedthat no beverage container has been placed in the holder 1, the holdingelements 7 are normally tiled such that the lower gripping point 14 isdirected further radially inwardly than the upper gripping point 15. Asthe bottle 2 is inserted, the holding elements 7 are pressed radiallyoutwards, i.e. both limbs 10 of the wire spring 9 are resilientlyrotated about the axis B.

[0016] The horizontal inclination of the holding elements 7 adjustsitself, depending on the geometry of the bottle 2 and the resultantforces acting at the gripping points 14 and 15, and tilts, ifapplicable; beyond the unstable state of inclination, as shown here forexample. This provides a very good hold for the waisted bottle 2, sincethe unstable state has to be overcome in order to remove the bottle 2.The holding elements 7 therefore effect gripping not simply by means ofthe radially-acting spring-biasing of the wire spring 9, but also bymeans of the tilting moment that is generated in the holding elements 7by the fores acting in the limbs 10.

[0017] It will be understood that each of the elements described above,or two or more together, may also find a useful application in othertypes of constructions differing from the types described above.

[0018] While the invention has been illustrated and described asembodied in holder for a beverage container, it is not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of thepresent invention.

[0019] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal thegist of the present invention that others can, by applying currentknowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omittingfeatures that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constituteessential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of thisinvention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims.
 1. A holder for a beverage container,comprising a container receptacle; gripping elements with holdingelements capable of being resiliently pressed away radially and projectinto said container receptacle, each of said holding elements having atleast two vertically offset gripping points and being fastened by aspring element, such that each of said holding elements and each of saidspring elements form a horizontally tiltable one of said grippingelements.
 2. A holder as defined in claim 1, wherein said spring elementis formed as a wire spring.
 3. A holder as defined in claim 2, whereinsaid holding elements each have two bores which are offset with respectto one another, said wire springs each comprising two limbs with freeends engaging in said bores, at least one portion of each of said limbsextending approximately in a direction of offset of said bores, and saidlimbs being biased with respect to one another in said direction.
 4. Aholder as defined in claim 3, wherein said bores are offsetsubstantially vertically with respect to one another.